† ruggern.1
Scottish. Obsolete (historical in later use).
A plunderer, robber, ravager. Chiefly in collocation with reiver (see reaver n. 1, and cf. to rug and reave at rug v.1 3).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > thief > robber > spoiler or plunderer > [noun]
riflera1350
ravenerc1384
pillerc1385
preyerc1390
raptora1398
peelera1425
despoiler1467
spulyierc1475
pillardc1485
ruggerc1485
pollera1513
booty-fellow1530
spoiler1535
caterpillar1541
kitea1556
ransacker?1576
predator1581
lurdan1589
worm1591
scraper1598
pillager?1611
ravager1611
bird of preya1616
depredator1626
plunderer1639
expilator1658
shark1713
depredationist1828
spoliator1831
rapiner1843
ravisher1851
c1485 ( G. Hay Bk. Knychthede (1993) iv. 30 Mony ruggaris and revaris, and othir wikkit men destroy the commouns and distrouble the realme.
1570 R. Sempill Spur to Lordis (single sheet) Ruggars, Reifars, Romeraikars.
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 130 Manifest ruggers and reiuers on the Sey.
1624 in R. D. MacEwan Old Glasgow Weavers (1916) 69 Calling him ane ruger and river, and ane oppressour.
1860 W. Greenwell Wills & Inventories Reg. Durham ii. 99 (note) The lawless propensities of the ruggers and rievers of that wild district.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2011; most recently modified version published online September 2019).
ruggern.2
/ˈrʌɡə/, U.S. /ˈrəɡər/ slang.
The game of rugby.The term is usually understood to refer to rugby union rather than rugby league, and is widely associated with upper-class British speech.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > football > rugby football > [noun]
football1863
rugby1870
rugby football1882
rugger1889
footy1900
1889 Boy's Own Paper 6 Apr. 431/3 In Varsity patois Rugby is yclept ‘Rugger’, while Association has for its synonym ‘Socker’.
1893 Westm. Gaz. 17 Oct. 5/3 W. Neilson was elected captain of ‘rugger’ and T. N. Perkins of ‘socker’.
1926 ‘N. Shute’ Marazan i. 7 I used to play Rugger for the Harlequins.
1969 V. Bartlett Past of Pastimes viii. 96 Soccer could be played after a fashion in almost any dead-end street; rugger could not.
1996 Daily Express 1 Mar. 35/2 They all played rugger and wanted to see how many pints they could put down.
Compounds
C1. General attributive. See also rugger bugger n.
ΚΠ
1889 Boy's Own Paper 6 Apr. 431/1 The Rugger men have squashes, and picked fifteens.
1895 19th Cent. Nov. 865 He would find that a ‘Rugger’ blue commanded vastly more admiration.
1927 Granta 14 Oct. 9/1 He has had to be content with four years and a captaincy in the Magdalene Rugger side.
1955 Times 3 Aug. 7/4 Gradually strength and energy returned, and in two days the Sherpas produced the expedition rugger ball.
1973 D. Lees Rape of Quiet Town vii. 111 It was all in the spirit of a rugger club frolic.
2006 New Yorker 28 Aug. 66/2 Wally had on..a faded, earthy-smelling, purple cardy over a green-and-ginger rugger shirt.
C2.
rugger tackle n. = rugby tackle n. at rugby n. 3a.
ΚΠ
1903 Strand Mag. Jan. 44/1 I do not remember ever seeing in ‘Soccer’ a full-blown ‘Rugger’ tackle, low or high, with two encircling arms around ankles, knees, waist, chest, or neck.
1934 R. H. B. Lockhart Retreat from Glory (U.S. ed.) ii. 82 My right arm would sink lower, until it grasped her waist in a ‘rugger’ tackle.
2003 Times 10 June 36 Legend was that the miscreant was brought to ground with a rugger tackle.
rugger-tackle v. transitive. = rugby-tackle vb. at rugby n. 3b.
ΚΠ
1967 D. Pinner Ritual xii. 119 He rugger-tackled the policeman.
1983 C. Thomas Firefox Down i. iv. 84 Some bloody Ivan rugger-tackled him just as he had hold of the wire.
2002 J. Dubois in M. Jakubowski Mammoth Bk. Best New Erotica 117 He rugger-tackled him, fighting with his full weight upon him to shackle his hands.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1c1485
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